Device for tying the ends of bags

ABSTRACT

A device for tying the end of a bag with an adhesive tape strip severed from a tape roll, in which a slot is provided for the movement of the compressed end of a bag. A star wheel is mounted adjacent the inlet end of the slot with its poke ends overlapping the slot and serving to support the tape with its adhesive side outwardly facing. A curved spring is held by one end in close proximity of the spoke ends disposed over the slot, with its free end terminating at a midpoint of the slot width, on the inner side of the star wheel. A tape severing means, movable into severing position by the passage of a bag neck through the slot is arranged to sever the tape around the bag neck from the roll at a point spaced inwardly from the free end of the spring.

United States Patent 1 1 2 ,89 Lehmann 1 May 1, 1973 [54] DEVICE FORTYING THE ENDS OF Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee BAGS Inventor:Aribert J. Lehmann, 473 West End Avenue, New York, NY. 10029 Filed: July19, 1971 Appl No.: 163,574

11.8. C1. ..53/198 A, 53/138 Int. Cl. ..B65b 51/06 Field of Search..53/I98 A, 138, 134,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Assistant Examiner-John SiposAttorney-Victor M. Helfand 5 7 ABSTRACT A device for tying the end of abag with an adhesive tape strip severed from a tape roll, in which aSlot is provided for the movement of the compressed end of a bag. A starwheel is mounted adjacent the inlet end of the slot with its poke endsoverlapping the slot and serving to support the tape with its adhesiveside outwardly facing. A curved spring is held by one end in closeproximity of the spoke ends disposed over the slot, with its free endterminating at a midpoint of the slot width, on the inner side of thestar wheel. A tape severing means, movable into severing position by thepassage of a bag neck through the slot is arranged to sever the tapearound the bag neck from the roll at a point spaced inwardly from thefree end of the spring.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patnted May 1, 1973 V 3,729,896

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ARIBERT J. LEHMANN' INVEN'IOR.

A 'IOR NEY DEVICE FOR TYING THE ENDS OF BAGS The present inventionrelates to the packaging art, and, more specifically to a device formechanically tying the open ends of loaded bags, particularly, syntheticplastic bags.

Many products are commercially packaged, for retailing, in open ended,clear or partly clear synthetic plastic bags, whose open ends are thentied up by longitudenally compressing them and wrapping a strip ofpressure-adhesive tape around the compressed bag end; the end extensionsof the wrapped portion of the strip being adhered to one another bytheir coated faces.

Such tying of loaded bags is effected by a device or mechanism on whicha roll of pressure-adhesive tape is mounted. The open end portion of thebag is manually longitudinally compressed into a neck-like formationwhich is pressed against the adhesive coated side of the tape and passedthrough a slot in the device, during which passage the tape is formedinto a ring around the neck with extensions that are parallel and faceone another with their coated sides and are adhered to one another alongtheir entire lengths. The movement of the neck through the slotautomatically causes a knife to sever the adhered tie ends from thetape; after which the tied bag is removed from the slot.

While the tying devices and methods of the prior art provide effective,efficient, and secure closures for the loaded bags, they suffer fromover-effectiveness. These methods and devices form a tying closure thatis generally impossible to open manually. The adhering tie extensionscannot be separated except with the greatest difficulty, if at all, sothat it is difficult if not impossible to remove the tie from around thecompressed neck of the bag, and the bag can only be opened by eithercutting the tape close to the neck or by simply tearing the bag. Asequel to this difficulty is the general impossibility to retie the bag,since either the tape or the bag itself have been mutilated during theinitial opening.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide bag tyingdevices, of the character described, which will form a tying closurearound a loaded bag that may be readily manually disengaged from thebag,

without damage to either the tying tape strip or to the 7 bag itself,thus rendering the untying of the bag a relatively simple operation andalso making it possible to retie it with the same or another strip ofpressure adhesive tape.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of thecharacter described which is of relatively simple construction andsimple and easy to operate.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a deviceof the character described which is compact, of light weight and ofattractive appearance.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device ofthe character described which is economical to produce and which,because of its other aforestated advantages, may be economically andconveniently used in the home, as well as commercially.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the bag tying deviceof the present invention will become more readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanyingdrawing and from the description following. It is to be understood,however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, tomake the principles and practice of the invention more readilycomprehensible, and without intent of limiting the invention to thespecific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bag tying device ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational and partly sectional view of the same, with awall removed and showing a bag end in an initial step of being tied;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, with the bagremoved;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the device of FIG. 2, on anenlarged scale, showing a second step in the tying of the bag;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4, showing a succeeding step inthe tying of the bag;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the device, as shown in FIG. 2, showingthe final step in the tying of the bag; the broken lines indicating itspath for removal from the device; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of the end of a bag tied by the device ofthe present invention.

Broadly stated, the device of the present invention departs from thoseof the prior art in that, in tying the bags, it leaves the ends of theclosure ring extensions spaced from and unadhered to one another, toprovide tabs angularly disposed relative to one another that afford apurchase for the fingers of a persons hands for separating theextensions from one another and for removing the ring from around theneck of the bag. Such result permits the opening of a tied bag withoutdamaging either the tying tape or the bag proper and permits thereclosure of the bag, with the same tape section that was removedtherefrom or with another tape section, or other tying means.

More specifically, the device as illustrated in the drawings, comprisesa base, 10, on which are set a pair of parallel upright walls, 12,spaced apart a distance equal to the thickness of a roll ofpressure-adhesive tape, 14, which may be rotatably supported betweenthem, at an upper corner, as on the circular ribs, 16 formed on theinner faces of the walls 12, over which the core 18 of the tape roll maybe snap-fitted.

The walls 12 are formed with registering, generally upright slots, at amidpoint thereof, extending downwardly from their upper edge. Each slotis formed with a substantially vertical, relatively short upper section,20, a relatively short diagonal, preferably slightly curved portion, 22extending in the direction of ribs 16, and a relatively longer vertical,lower portion, 24, having a laterally offset portion, 26, at its endextending in the direction opposite to ribs 16 and preferablyterminating in an enlarged, circular portion, 28.

Walls 12 are provided on their edges on the side of the slot oppositethe ribs 16, or on the right side, as shown in the drawings, with facingoffset flanges that register and abut to form bracing side wall, 32, andtop wall, 34. Similar flanges are provided on the lower portions ofopposed side edge of walls 12, which form a bracing wall, 36; the uppercover edges on the left of the slot are without any flanges, to leave anopening for the insertion and removal of a roll of tape.

Additional bracing means may be provided on walls 12, intermediate theiredges, which included the registering and abuting ribs 38, to the rightof the slot, which may extend downwardly from top wall section 34, tohave its lower end curve around the outer portion of the circularslot-enlargement 28.

The spacing and bracing means also include a plurality of studsextending between wall 12. These include registering stud sections 40,intermediate the slot and the ribs 16; stud sections, 42, on the rightside of the slot, immediately below the top wall section 34 between theslot and the bracing ribs 38; stud sections 44 along the lower half ofslot section 24, to the left thereof; and stud sections, 46, closelyadjacent to side wall section 36, at its upper end. For convenience andrigidity of assembly, one of each pair of registering studs may beformed with a recess, 48, in its end, while the other may be formed witha pin extension (not shown) that may fit into such recess. Studs 40, 42,44 and 46, may all be cylindrical, particularly studs 40 and 44, and mayeach serve a double purpose.

Thus, studs 40 serve to rotatably support, by its hub, a star wheel, 50,having the spokes, 52, separated by recesses, 54, which may preferablyhave circular inner ends and may widen outwardly; each recess 54 beingadapted to receive therewithin the longitudinally compressed end orneck, 56, of a bag. The star wheel 50 is of such diameter and studs 40are so positioned that the spokes, 52 extend across at least part of thewidth of the slot poritons and 22.

Studs 42 serve to anchor against top wall section 34, the flat end, 58,of a leaf spring, having the curved extension, 60, that dependstherefrom opposite the slot and curves around the ends of the spokes 52,along slot sections 20 and 22, to a point opposite approximately thecenter ofthe width of slot section 24.

Studs 44 serve as a pivot for the bell crank, generally designated as62, having the upper arm, 64, and the lower arm, 66, which extend in thedirection of slot section 24 and may be alternately moved to lie acrossit. The end of the upper arm 64, carries, or is formed with a knifeedge, 67, which may preferably be of tapered shape, for ease of cutting.

Studs 46 served to anchor one end of a curved leaf spring, 68, whoseother end engages against the lower arm 66 of bell crank 62 to normallymaintain it across slot section 24, to thereby retain the end of theupper arm 66 and its knife end 67 out of alinement with the slot. Stoppens, 80, may be provided to the left of the slot and of upper bellcrank arm 64, to limit its movement away from the slot.

To operate the device of the invention, a roll of tape 14 adhesivelycoated on one side is mounted over ribs 16, in position to have itscoated side 70 (FIG. 1) upwardly facing, and its end portion is passedover the star wheel 50, being passed around the circumference ofthe starwheel between the ends ofits spokes 52, and the curved extension 60 ofthe leaf spring with an end 72, projecting beyond the end of the spring.The end of a loaded bag is then longitudinally compressed, as byslightly twisting, to form the neck section 56, which is introduced intothe upper portion 20 of the slot and then pressed downwardly. Suchmovement will cause the neck 56 to encounter one of the spokes 52 and tobe pressed into the recess 54a above'it. As neck 56 will be in contactwith the adhesive coated face of the tape, it will push the tape areawith which it is in contact inwardly into the recess (FIG. 2), causingthe roll of tape to unwind. As the neck 56 is pressed further downwardlythrough the slot, along the diagonal portion 22 thereof, the tape willbe wound around the neck to form the ring 74, and folding the tape onitself both, above and below the neck 56 (FIG. 4).

As the tape is continued to be pressed downwardly in the slot 54a, thefold of the tape above the neck 56 will be straightened out and the foldbelow it will be lengthened as seen in FIG. 5 of the drawing.Thereafter, further depression of the neck 56 will cause it to bewithdrawn from the recess 54 into which it was initially inserted, andits pressure will cause the tape end 72 projecting beyond the curvedspring section 60 to be pressed to the right around the end edge of thespring section 60. Continued movement of the neck 56 downwardly, throughslot section 24, will cause it to encounter lower bell crank arm 66 andits pressure on that arm will tilt the bell crank to cause its upper arm64 to move to the right and its knife end 67 to cut the tape sectionthat connects the tape ring 74 around the neck 56 to the roll of tape14.

It will be seen that as the neck is moved downwardly through the slotportion 24, that portion of the tape fold which lies against the curvedspring 60 (FIG. 5), will be straightened out and caused to adhereagainst the portion of the tape connecting the ring 74 to the roll oftape 14, except for its projecting end 72, which will be offset from theconnecting tape portion so that the knife 67 cuts through the tapesection connecting the ring 74 to the roll of tape, at a point below theend of the curved spring section 60 and above the point of offset oftape end 72, and there will be provided a ring closure around the neckwith extensions at each end thereof, parts of whichextensions areadhered but the ends of which, 76 and 72, are unadhered and are disposedat an angle to one another, as more or less schematically shown in FIG.2 and, on an enlarged scale, in FIG. 7.

Continued movement of the neck 56, after severance of the tape will movethe lower bell crank arm 66 out of the way of the slot to permit themovement of the neck into the lower slot section 26 and into theenlargement 28 through which the tied neck of the bag may be withdrawn.

It may here be stated that the device of the present invention may beformed of any suitable material; preferably, for economy of productionof the parts and for ease of assembly and for lightness of weight, itmay be formed, as by molding of synthetic plastic material; includingthe star wheel, the rocker arm, and the several springs, as well as thecutting edge 67.

This completes the description of the device of the present invention.It will be readily apparent that such device is of relatively simpleconstruction; may be economically produced and assembled; and is compactand of light weight. It will also be apparent that the device of theinvention is simple, easy, and convenient to use and may, therefore beused in the home as well as commercially. It will likewise be apparentthat the device forms tape closures for the ends of loaded bags that mayrelatively easily be opened without damage to the closure or the bag,and, therefore, permits the reclosure of the bag either with the sametape or with another strip of tape or with other means, to the greatconvenience of non-commercial users.

It will be further apparent that numerous variations and modificationsmay be made in the bag closing device of the invention, by one skilledin the art, and in accordance with the principles of the inventionhereinabove set forth and without the exercise of any inventiveingenuity.

Iclaim:

l. A device for tying the ends of loaded bags with a strip of adhesivetape, comprising a wall supported by one edge on a base, a slotextending from the opposed edge of the wall inwardly to a point short ofsaid supported edge; means on said wall to one side of said slot forrotatably supporting a roll of tape, means on said wall to said side ofsaid slot for rotatably supporting a star wheel; a star wheel mounted onsaid means, said star wheel having radially extending spokes separatedby recesses adapted to receive the longitudinally compressed end of abag, said star wheel supporting means arranged to support said starwheel with the ends of its spokes extending over said slot, a springmember supported on said wall to the other side of said slot, saidspring member having a curved portion disposed in close proximity to theends of said spokes overlying said slot, said spring terminating at apoint at approximately the center of the width of said slot, tapesevering means mounted on said wall said severing means engagable by theneck of a bag moving through said slot to be moved from a position awayfrom said slot to cross said slot to sever a tape section from a roll oftape wound around said neck at a point between said neck and the end ofsaid spring and spaced from the end of said spring, to leave afree-hanging tape end at the end of said spring and means automaticallyreturning said severing means to said first position after disengagementfrom said bag neck.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein a second wall is supported on said basein spaced parallel relation to said wall, said second wall having a:slot formed therein in register with the slot of said wall, said tape,said star wheel, said spring member and said neck engagable meanssupported between said walls.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said slot comprises relatively offsetouter and inner portions connected by a diagonally extending portion,said teeth projecting across said diagonally extending slot portion.

4. The device of claim I wherein said slot is formed with a laterallyoffset portion on its inner end, said laterally offset portion having anenlarged end portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said tape severing means comprisesa bell crank lever pivotally supported between said walls in position tohave its arms extend in the direction of said wall; said bell cranklever having one of its arms provided with a tape cutting edge at oneend and arranged with said arm in greater proximity to the end of saidspring than its other arm; resilient means normally maintaining said onearm in position away from said slots and its other arm across saidslots; said arms arranged at an angle to one another whereby the cuttingend of said one arm is moved across said slots when said other arm ismoved from across said slots by a bag neck moved therethrough.

The appara us 0 claim 5, wherein said means lower arm of said bellcrank.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said means mounting said star wheeland said bell crank lever each comprise cooperating registeringcylindrical studs portions on said walls; said cooperating cylindricalstuds forming axles upon which said star wheel and said bell crank leverare mounted for rotation.

1. A device for tying the ends of loaded bags with a strip of adhesivetape, comprising a wall supported by one edge on a base, a slotextending from the opposed edge of the wall inwardly to a point short ofsaid supported edge; means on said wall to one side of said slot forrotatably supporting a roll of tape, means on said wall to said side ofsaid slot for rotatably supporting a star wheel; a star wheel mounted onsaid means, said star wheel having radially extending spokes separatedby recesses adapted to receive the longitudinally compressed end of abag, said star wheel supporting means arranged to support said starwheel with the ends of its spokes extending over said slot, a springmember supported on said wall to the other side of said slot, saidspring member having a curved portion disposed in close proximity to theends of said spokes overlying said slot, said spring terminating at apoint at approximately the center of the widTh of said slot, tapesevering means mounted on said wall said severing means engagable by theneck of a bag moving through said slot to be moved from a position awayfrom said slot to cross said slot to sever a tape section from a roll oftape wound around said neck at a point between said neck and the end ofsaid spring and spaced from the end of said spring, to leave afreehanging tape end at the end of said spring and means automaticallyreturning said severing means to said first position after disengagementfrom said bag neck.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein a second wall issupported on said base in spaced parallel relation to said wall, saidsecond wall having a slot formed therein in register with the slot ofsaid wall, said tape, said star wheel, said spring member and said neckengagable means supported between said walls.
 3. The device of claim 1wherein said slot comprises relatively offset outer and inner portionsconnected by a diagonally extending portion, said teeth projectingacross said diagonally extending slot portion.
 4. The device of claim 1wherein said slot is formed with a laterally offset portion on its innerend, said laterally offset portion having an enlarged end portion. 5.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said tape severing means comprises abell crank lever pivotally supported between said walls in position tohave its arms extend in the direction of said wall; said bell cranklever having one of its arms provided with a tape cutting edge at oneend and arranged with said arm in greater proximity to the end of saidspring than its other arm; resilient means normally maintaining said onearm in position away from said slots and its other arm across saidslots; said arms arranged at an angle to one another whereby the cuttingend of said one arm is moved across said slots when said other arm ismoved from across said slots by a bag neck moved therethrough.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 5, wherein said means maintaining said bell crank innormal position comprises a curved spring secured by one end of saidwalls with its other end engaging the outer surface of said lower arm ofsaid bell crank.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said meansmounting said star wheel and said bell crank lever each comprisecooperating registering cylindrical studs portions on said walls; saidcooperating cylindrical studs forming axles upon which said star wheeland said bell crank lever are mounted for rotation.